The Sundance Institute Documentary Fund announced its first round of grantss for 2006 with 15 feature-length documentary films receiving a total of $605,000. The fund supports U.S. and international docs that “focus on current human rights issues, freedom of expression, social justice, civil liberties, and exploring critical issues of the time.” Films that are works in progress receiving grants are: “Bombhunters” by Skye Fitzgerald (US/Cambodia); “Made in L.A.” by Almudena Carrecedo and Robert Bahar (US); “Miss Gulag” by Maria Yatskova, Irina Vodar and Raphaela Neihausen (US); “My American Dream” by Shari Robertson and Michael Camerini (US); “9 Star Hotel” by Ido Haar (Israel); “The Learning” by Ramona S. Diaz (US/Philippines); “The Visitors” by Melis Birder (US/Turkey); “Trouble the Waters” by Tia Lessin, Carl Deal and Amir Bar-Lev (US); and “The Tightrope” by Petr Lom (US). Development grants were awarded to: “The Baton Resistance” by Margarita Martinez Escallon and Miguel Salazar (Colombia); “Justice Must Be Seen” by Ra’anan Alexandrowicz (Israel); and “Chekpapi” by Marion Lipschutz and Rose Rosenblatt. Supplemental grants were awarded to: “Greenboro: Closer to the Truth” by Adam Zucker (US); “Rebirth of a Nation” by Daniel Junge (US/Liberia); and “Wonders are Many” by Jon Else (US). Established by the Sundance Institute in 2002, grants are announced twice yearly, and has awarded $4 million to 113 projects since its inception. For more information, and complete project descriptions, visit the Sundance Institute’s website. [Brian Brooks]